Fashion, Travel , Lifestyle

Blogging

Why do we work so hard? Why do we pursue our dreams and goals? What gives us the drive to get up each morning and push forward? Perhaps is a family we need to support or the contract you signed. Well for me its the knowing that if I never start and hustle I will immensely disappoint myself. Yes I say myself, because I am much tougher on myself than anyone could be. For me the idea of leaving something to be done later keeps me up at night. That is why I don’t leave things for Monday!

As many of you know already I work in the fashion industry and I still find myself having to explain what that is really like. Just reading comments on social media in regards to the industry I feel I work in a fishbowl with people looking in. Many people still have many negative connotations towards people that work in this industry. Whether it is that we don’t work, are shallow or aren’t making significant impacts on important parts of society. When in fact many creative industry people are extremely hard workers that have lives full of late nights. Do you know why? Because thin skinned people who expect to enjoy the perks of the industry without the work get chewed up and spit out. They get hit with reality real quick and they quit, I’ve seen it.

So with the fact that I work in such a difficult industry, why the heck would I start a blog/business! I’ll tell you why. When I started the blog I was having such a hard time finding work. I started to feel like I was failing and I was losing my mind without something to do everyday. The idea of talking about an industry that I have a degree in became a no brainer to me. So I decided to do my homework and start the blog, because why start Monday?

Starting it has been one of the best decisions ever. Although it has added more to my workload and long nights it has enriched my life in many ways. The community of bloggers, some that I have developed friendships with, has always been supportive. The readers and followers who enjoy my content with their positive feedback have also been a testament on why I didn’t wait for Monday. The relationships with brands, companies and network of people I’ve created relationships have become priceless.

A company that understands the urgency of starting your journey to your goals is Why Start Monday. Creator Aimee Virtucio realized that we are a society that believes Monday is the day to start tackling our goals. It is an easier decision to leave something for Monday than start immediately. She experienced this with her workout regimen when she made the decision to get healthy. She would leave her diet and workout for Monday, which allowed her time to come up with excuses and not accomplish her goals. This mentality started to affect other aspects of her life. Realizing this she started “Why Start Monday” a brand that constantly reminds you to tackle you goals and dreams.

So go ahead start that business, class, workout regime and tackle that tough industry! Just be realistic on how much hard work you are going to need to put into it. Don’t let the million nos and slammed doors stop you from pursuing your goals. In the end you don’t want to be one of those people that say “I should’ve” instead of “I did”. Why Start Monday!

Is there something you started that you’re happy you didn’t leave for Monday? Or is there something you have been pushing off for Monday? Learn more about Why Start Monday here, which by the way gives 10% of each purchase to the Make a Wish foundation. Motivational and charitable!

This is a sponsored post. Parts of this post were guest written by Alex Berger. This post contains sponsored links and content.

Since I decided to start writing about my career I figured I’d write about how I juggle being a freelancer in the fashion industry and being a blogger. Any blogger who runs their blog as a business can tell you it’s a 24/7 job. I’m always attached to my email for blogging purposes and as a freelancer in the fashion industry as well. I’m always editing, brainstorming and responding to people on social media and on the blog. Many times a lunch break consist of eating and answering blog related emails or social media tasks. As a freelancer I have agents who help me along my professional journey of working in the fashion industry. It is up to me and those agents to keep a constant open line of communication. This is equally important when you are working with companies for a blog or social media post. When I began this journey I had to figure out how I would balance it all, and you can too! Here are some guidelines on how I balance my hectic career and a blog.

Organize Yourself

This can be done simply with journals, agenda, calendars, alarms etc. I don’t do anything in the fashion industry without a notebook dedicated to the job I’m doing. As anyone who has ever worked in a creative industry knows, projects and people move way too fast to keep track of every change without a written reminder. There can also be so many different tasks you have to handle that without an organized list you wouldn’t know what to get done first. This is similar in having a blog, I have dedicated notebooks and different stationery to my blog. I organize meetings, events and posts within these notebooks to keep me up to date. These also help me track blogging numbers and goals by writing everything down. Now I’m partial to writing things on paper, but I also use the calendar in my phone to keep me on track. There are also apps that help you carve out time to focus on your task.

My notebooks. Some older than others.

Experiment with all methods of organization to help you get your work done. Something is bound to help you accomplish each goal. Writing for me as well as many other bloggers begins at least three days to a week in advance. So carving time out of your busy schedule to get a post done is super important. Step away from distractions for as long as you can to work on a post. Trust me I have been there and always feel better when I have at least something written down rather than nothing at all.

Always Conduct Yourself Professionally

In all ways and at all times act professional. As bloggers we are subject to a much more of the public’s reaction than other people. When a personal matter is occurring it is up to you to decide if you want to share it and how much of it to share. I feel the same about political topics, you may be super frustrated about what is happening but you must be careful what you post. I like many bloggers post every single day to social media because it is part of the job. In doing so you will attract many comments and readers. How you respond to both negative and positive feedback is up to you. I choose professionalism over anything else, because remember being a blogger is being subject to the public. Consider your boss, coworkers, family and collaborators as being part of that public!

Educate yourself

When you are the creator and editor of your own blog or business you never stop learning. Just like when you start a new job, there are bound to be things you don’t know. Before I started my blog I did a lot of homework with the help of Pinterest and social media. Being open to mentorship and critiques works in your favor as well. People who have more experience than you do are bound to give you sound advice. In saying that learning how to make SEO, plugins, apps and networks work for my blog is something I constantly do as well.

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a huge part of running a functional blog. When applied correctly it helps search engines like Google find your content. To have this work you must input a mix of keywords, tag words and links. The title of your post must also be long enough and correspond with your keywords. SEO also helps you determine how the link to your article will appear in a search engine. It allows you to see what the title, pictures and link will look like once posted. What I love about using SEO is what I call the “grading system” which signals you with red, yellow or green circles. As you write and edit your article the circles go from red to green. Symbolizing how easy your article is to read and whether it will be found easily on search engines. With this guidance it is easier to write an understandable and reachable article.

Be Flexible

Being able to collaborate with other bloggers, industry experts and people who have more experience than you do is paramount in working in both a faced paced industry and being a blogger. Dates might be changed on a collaborative project, something I’ve personally dealt with. Essentially it’s about respecting the other person’s schedule as best as possible and finding a way to work it out. Figuring out what you want to write about is also part of being flexible. I may want to write about a specific topic but might have to put it off until I get a different post done first. Finding a way to balance your needs and wants as a blogger is part of being your own boss.

I would love to be able to do everything myself, but it’s just not possible, so I have to pick and choose based on what needs to get done and what I am skilled in. One thing that a lot of bloggers and freelancers should spend more time on is digital marketing and SEO, but unfortunately most are not skilled in it. This is where collaborating with industry experts comes into play, but then you have to go through the process of finding the right marketing agency to hire. Although this can be time consuming and it can take many hours of research to learn about SEO. Some would be better off by searching for the right company to help them with the SEO process.

The NJ SEO Company or NJ SEO is the number one marketing agency in New Jersey. They are a full service marketing agency offering effective content strategies for forward thinking companies. Lead by brothers, Matt and Dan Anton, NJ SEO is dominating multiple markets – in Atlanta, Georgia and New Jersey. Matt is in charge of client strategy and execution, optimizing for specific industries, business goals and budgets for the New Jersey office. He is cited as an SEO expert and has many amazing reviews and over 100+ testimonials. Supporting a local and family-run businesses that can assist me is the way to go, in my opinion. According to the SBA (U.S. Small Business Administration), “Since 1990, as big business eliminated 4 million jobs, small businesses added 8 million new jobs.” This is just another reason to support local businesses, including NJ SEO and Matt Anton.

Owner Matt Anton!

So now you have an insight into how I juggle being a blogger and working in the fashion industry. Organization, Professionalism, Education and Flexibility will all help you not only work in a tough industry but run your own a business as well. These paired with perseverance, a strong work ethic and using the businesses around you like NJ SEO you will be better prepared to juggle a job and a business.

How do you juggle it all? Let me know in the comments and on social media!

Recently I was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by Amanda from Simply Amanda. Amanda covers fashion, beauty, blogging and lifestyle topics. She restarted her blog this year after giving it a shot in 2016. Stick to it Amanda! I feel so honored to be nominated! Any blogger who treats their blog as a business can tell you that there’s more that meets the eye than our finished posts. I’ve talked a bit about what it really takes to run a blog, and its always a heart warming feeling when you receive great feedback. I’ve never meet Amanda, which makes the nomination even more exciting, positive feedback from strangers is raw and I feel more honest. Thank you Amanda!

The Sunshine Award is given to bloggers who are inspiring and bring sunshine into the lives of readers and fellow bloggers. Nominees are to complete the following:

Thank the blogger who nominated them and link them back to their blog

Answer the questions prepared by the nominating blogger.

List other bloggers that you nominate for the Sunshine Blogger Award

Create 11 questions for the bloggers that you nominate

Inform your nominees that they’ve been nominated

I love writing my blog not only for my personal reasons but because of your feedback. Reading your comments and seeing I’ve brought you education or covered an event you can’t get to always makes me feel accomplished. I’ve enjoyed the ride thus far and look forward to many more years of blogging. The following are the answers to the questions Amanda has prepared.

What is the story behind your blog’s name?

All my life I’ve lived in NJ, but was raised going into the city (NYC) on weekends for museums or just to spend the day.When I got into college I had to take classes in the city which cemented my love for NYC. Many people who know me can tell you I’m an NYC girl, I’m much more comfortable there than NJ. I’m not a huge fan of driving, but know the subway like the back of my hand. Due to my career I’ve also always worked in NYC. If you follow me on Instagram, you will also see a lot of NYC architecture, an aspect of the city I’ve always loved.

What is the most exciting thing you’ve ever done?

The most exciting thing I’ve ever done has been fly an airplane. I am working on getting my license although I still have a long way to go. It takes many hours to complete and it is an expensive sport. I have a dare devil streak and bungy jumping, sky diving and cage shark diving are still on my bucket list. I also have a love of speed, so a race around a track in an exotic car is also on the list. Read my recent post on The NYC Auto Show for more on my love of fast cars.

If you were on a deserted island and could only take 3 items with you, what would they be?

If I was on a deserted island and could only take 3 items with me they would be a portable closet with clothes in it, my cell phone with WiFi, and tablet.

How long have you been blogging for?

A year. I’ve been blogging one year as of this January.

What is your number one holy grail beauty product that you can’t live without?

BLACK LIQUID EYELINER! My makeup isn’t complete without liquid eyeliner. Its become part of my signature look when I do have makeup on.

If money wasn’t a factor, what would be your dream job?

I don’t know what my dream job would be but it would still be in fashion with a lot of international travel. I would love to be able to blog while traveling, that would also be a dream job.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

If I could have any superpower I would like to end the prejudice of people. Specifically the prejudice women all around the world and even in U.S. still face. It seems almost unbelievable that women still have to march for their rights in 2017. Its been proven that when countries educate, hire and elevate women the economy and society benefits from it. Imagine how excelled a country would be if there was no sexism and prejudice against women.

What inspires you most?

What inspires me most when writing my blog is music. Overall in life what inspires me is my goal in life to succeed. If you remind yourself of what you want at the end of the tunnel, the hardships you go through are worth it. I also find other strong, independent women extremely inspiring. We live in a world that still devalues us, so every time I see a woman succeed she is doing so against the odds. That is very inspiring and empowering.

What do you do for a living? If you’re a full time blogger how long did it take you to get there?

I work in the fashion industry. Its been a difficult few years in my career, but I love the industry. There are perks of course like freebies, industry discounts and entry into events. Although there have also been a lot of long nights, sore legs and learning how to deal with eccentric personalities in the work place. Still I have met great people and learned about many different aspects of the industry. My blog fits perfectly into my career so I’ve been able to use my blog within my industry.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

I don’t think I have a favorite vacation spot although one country does have a special place in my heart. Italy! Italian is one of the languages I speak and I fell in love with the country and plan to return. I’ve also been to Spain, the country of some of my ancestors which is a beautiful country and love as well. Overall I love to explore when I’m on vacation so I prefer traveling through ancient European countries rather than lay on a beach all day. If there are museums, monuments and other historical places that’s where I like to vacation.

Yes my last name is a famous street in Spain!

Pictures of Spain (I have way to many to put them all!)

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Speaking of Spain, the weirdest thing I ate was when I was vacationing there. Overall Europe has given me the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life. Although when I was in Spain we decided to try snail. All I have to say is I wasn’t a fan.

My Questions for the Nominees

Why did you start your blog/business?

What has been one of the most exciting things you’ve done with your blog/business?

What has blogging or your business taught you?

Do you have any guilty pleasures? Chocolate? A specific show? Etc.

If you could give your younger self advice what would it be?

What has been your favorite travel destination? If you haven’t been there yet what would it be.

What are some of your favorite topics to write about on your blog and why? Or what are some of your favorite aspects of your business?

When are you at your most happiest?

Are their any societal causes you are passionate about?

What is one fact about yourself that many people don’t know or only people close to you know?